PUTRAJAYA: Scores of padi farmers have gathered here to ask for the floor price of padi to be raised and the Quality Crop Seed Bill to be reconsidered.
The farmers who arrived in seven buses and cars were mostly from Kedah, Perlis, Penang, Pahang and Selangor.
The farmers held up banners and placards in front of the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, after being told to move away from the Prime Minister's Office.
Among the banners were "PMX, tolong naikkan harga lantai RM1,800" (PMX, please increase floor prices to RM1,800), "Pesawah Mahukan Pembelaan" (Farmers need Looking After).
The Malaysia Padi Farmers Brotherhood Association (PeSawah) had called a gathering of 1,000 farmers as they planned to hand over a memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the price of padi and the Crop Seed Quality Bill.
“PeSawah opposes the floor price policy for padi which does not ensure fair income for padi farmers and the Bill which restricts farmers’ freedom to store, share and sell seeds. The Bill will also increase the cost of planting padi seeds,” said PeSawah in a statement on Monday (Jan 27).
Farmer Ku Syaharil Ku Desa, 54, from Kuala Muda, Kedah said that he makes only losses with the current floor price of RM1,300.
"Everything else has gone up - from the fertilisers to pesticides to cost of living - but the padi seed price has been the same for years. The removal of the diesel subsidy made it worse.
"We come here out of desperation. This is the only day we can leave our padi fields as after Chinese New Year, we will start harvesting.
"Our hopes were so high on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as he had once championed the plight of poor farmers in Baling in 1974. Today, he tells us to come another day. I am very disappointed," said Ku Syaharil, who has travelled all night by bus.
Farmer Ibrahim Sanusi, 66, from Perlis, said he came with six other farmers as the padi floor prices and pending Crop Seed Quality Bill are a threat to his livelihood.
"I have been a farmer since I was 14 years old but this is the first time I have come down like this. And we can't just leave our fields unattended.
"I hope the Prime Minister listens to the voices of the poor farmers," said Ibrahim.
